
Lauren Jones
Cello
Originally from London, Ontario, Canada, Lauren began playing cello at the age of 3 in a Suzuki programme. She went on to complete a BMus (Hons) first class degree at Wilfrid Laurier University, studying with Paul Pulford, with a Minor (Hons) first class degree in Psychology in 2014. During her studies, she was the recipient of several scholarships and won the WLU Concerto Competition in 2012 performing Bloch’s Schelomo with orchestra. Lauren moved to the UK to complete an MMus (Hons) at the RNCM with Philip Higham and graduated in 2016. Whilst at RNCM, she was heavily involved in various chamber music groups, one of which was a finalist in the Hirsch Prize competition. She also had the privilege of performing the Mendelssohn Octet with Catherine Yates and the Spohr Octet with the late Peter Cropper.
Lauren has been teaching cello for many years and previously worked with Opera North’s In Harmony programme, creating and delivering a music curriculum to schools in disadvantaged communities in Leeds. As a Suzuki trained cellist herself, Lauren felt it was important to become a qualified Suzuki teacher to make sure she was setting up beginner cellists with a strong musical and technical foundation for them build on as their skills develop. She completed the Suzuki Foundational and Unit 1 course in 2016 and the Unit 2 course in 2018. She also completed a workshop in the Kodály method using solfege and part-singing skills 2018. Today, Lauren includes a combination of these methods as well as traditional tuition in her teaching, and draws on this training to tailor her approach to the needs of each pupil. She has a very enthusiastic and proactive attitude to teaching and tries to encourage music learning in every child, as she realises the difference it has made in her own life.